What Would Tom Cruise Do?

There’s apparently a war breaking out between celebrity Scientologists in Hollywood, or at least between Leah Remini, the former King of Queens star who recently left the “church” while criticizing its leader, David Miscavige, and Kirstie Alley, who is quite upset about it. Tony Ortega has the details:

Our sources tell us that Alley worked the phones that day, raising a stink with the personnel at the Hollywood Celebrity Centre — what were church officials going to do about Remini’s defection?

A meeting was called for Alley and other celebrities to get a briefing from church executives about what was going on and what they planned to do about it.

The meeting was held at the home of Melinda Brownstone — a longtime Scientologist.

Oh boy. What will Tom Cruise do? And why should anyone really give a shit other than as a means of laughing at these people?

Since the news of Remini’s departure from the church went wide on Thursday, our sources tell us that Leah has been inundated with media requests and an outpouring of support from fans.

But she’s also heard from friends in Scientology who tell her that they’ve been ordered to “disconnect” from her immediately. That campaign is being orchestrated by a church “ethics” employee at the Advanced Organization of Los Angeles (AOLA) on behalf of the church’s Office of Special Affairs, Scientology’s intelligence division. The employee, Julian Swartz, is ordering people to cut off all ties with Remini. (In 2011, at his website, former top church official Marty Rathbun revealed documents in a previous OSA operation run by Swartz to disrupt relationships of a Scientologist who was targeted after she asked questions about fundraising and disconnection.) Our sources inside the church tell us that Swartz is calling people down for interrogations about their connections to Remini and what she has said about Miscavige.

We’re told that Remini is shocked that her former friends are complying with the instruction to cut her off rather than calling her to ask how she is, or even to discuss the concerns she has raised.

Remini is telling close friends that the church has designated her the condition of “Enemy.”

Which is how they treat anyone who leaves the “church.” This is hardly a surprise.

We’re told that Remini is shocked that her former friends are complying with the instruction to cut her off rather than calling her to ask how she is, or even to discuss the concerns she has raised.

Her mistake is assuming that anybody in the church with her was a real friend. Somehow she missed the lesson that the church is everything and other people mean nothing. Well, nothing, except for how they can be exploited for the church’s gain.

I wonder what it costs to buy out one’s billion-year contract when leaving Scientology.

Doug Little

But she’s also heard from friends in Scientology who tell her that they’ve been ordered to “disconnect” from her immediately.

You stay classy Scientology.

Loqi

@timberwoof

Similarly, my Subaru scored pretty heavily as a car on the “Is this a car” test.

Who Knows?

Office of Special Affairs, Scientology’s intelligence division.

Scientology has an intelligence division? Like S2?

Why?

marcus

Rule #1 (IMO) If they say anything but “Don’t let the screen door hit you on the ass on the way out!”, when you are leaving, then it is probably a cult.

This same thing happened to my first wife when she was leaving Yogi Bhajan and the American Sikhs in the 80s.

eric

We’re told that Remini is shocked that her former friends are complying with the instruction to cut her off

The naivete makes me want to be unsympathetic to her. But even so, here’s hoping the bastards don’t really do damage to her life.

Scientology has an intelligence division? Like S2? Why?

Consider the hypothetical situation in which you’ve done horrible things. You buried the evidence in the back yard, but did a shoddy job of it. Then you invited a bunch of people over for a backyard barbeque. Wouldn’t you be a bit paranoid when one of them leaves the party?

Too bad Oprah doesn’t have her show anymore. I’d love to see Kirstie Alley jump up and down on her couch while screaming about about Leah Remini.

mikeyb

All I can say – if you’re gonna start a new religious cult – target celebrities, at least you can maintain a healthy cash flow.

exdrone

It’s surprising that Remini decided to leave when you consider the impressively positive impact Scientology has had on the careers of celebrities like Alley. Since Cheers, Alley has become famous, starring in … um … err … the um … Well, she did that weight loss thing.

Anthony K

The naivete makes me want to be unsympathetic to her. But even so, here’s hoping the bastards don’t really do damage to her life.

Scientologists are ruthless and vicious when it comes to deconverts. The Church might not have the support it did in the 80s and 90s, but that doesn’t mean Remini isn’t in for a world of shit. I do feel sorry for her.

grumpyoldfart

We’re told that Remini is shocked that her former friends are complying with the instruction to cut her off rather than calling her to ask how she is…

Why the shock? The only reason she was able to remain in the cult was that she obeyed orders and ostracised everyone she was told to ostracise. Now it’s happening to her and suddenly she can see the wrongness of the procedure. Too bad lady, you should have spoken up earlier.

Draken

Seems like $cientology is proof of the credo that the Internet is where religions come to die.

My first acqaintance with them aside from the Dianetics books in the bookstore was when they tried to raid Dutch internet provider XS4ALL in 1995 on the allegation of copyright infringement. Suddenly everybody knew who Scientology is and what its methods are.

After that, bits and pieces from the Fishman trial got published on websites everywhere and for a while, the Co$ tried to drown out any critical discussion on Usenet by spamming the groups. But it was already too late.

culuriel

I hope she doesn’t settle for the bs title “Enemy” and gets herself labeled a full “Suppressive Person”. She should settle for nothing less.